The five Cardiff City and Aston Villa supporters denied using or threatening unlawful violence but were convicted by a jury after trial, all were granted bail.

Two Cardiff City fans and three Aston Villa supporters have been found guilty of violent disorder at a pub following the Championship clash last summer.

The jury of nine men and three women returned unanimous guilty verdicts. The defendants sighed and shook their heads as the verdicts were delivered.

Friday 6th October 2018

ALL ACCUSED GRANTED BAIL

April 2018 there were Sixteen Cardiff City and Aston Villa fans in court over violent clashesSixteen people were charged with using or threatening unlawful violence.

Some have had charges dropped, others charges dropped on first day of Court and a few pleaded guilty.

On the final day of Court there were only five Cardiff City and Aston Villa supporters left and all were found guilty by the jury.

Football fans who 'threw punches and launched bottles' in pub brawl guilty of violent disorder

Friday 6th October 2018

The five Cardiff City and Aston Villa supporters denied using or threatening unlawful violence but were convicted by a jury after trial

The five Cardiff City and Aston Villa supporters denied using or threatening unlawful violence but were convicted by a jury after trial

Two Cardiff City fans and three Aston Villa supporters have been found guilty of violent disorder at a pub following the Championship clash last summer.

Bluebirds supporters Nathan Pleace and Vincent Richards, along with Villa supporters Mark Baker, Gary Tucker and Brett Clarke, denied the charge but were convicted by a jury after a trial.

Opening the case at Cardiff Crown Court last week prosecutor James Wilson said: "The incident involved punches, kicks and bottles being thrown."

The court heard the public disorder occurred at The Cornwall pub on the junction between Cornwall Street and Hereford Street in Grangetown on August 12 last year.

The disorder was caught on CCTV both inside the pub and on the streets outside.

Post-football match brawl saw 'group of 20' in 'shorts, jeans and hoods' target city pubPleace, 30, of Andrew’s Road in Llandaff North, Cardiff, was seen to throw items including a bottle at the rival group and kick a man on the floor.

He accepted throwing a bottle but said he did it to keep the other men back. In his evidence he told the jury he thought his actions were "necessary".

Prosecutors said he had been before the courts for 12 previous offences, including affray, and was made the subject of a football banning order in 2011, with which he subsequently failed to comply.

He admitted he was at the scene but denied using or threatening unlawful violence. He told the jury he felt "angry" describing the pub as his "second home".

The court heard he had three previous convictions for affray and drug-related offending.

Football fan 'was acting in self-defence' from 'maniac' throwing punches during pub brawlBaker, 47, of Ashburton Road in Birmingham, was seen throwing an object, which prosecutors alleged was a bottle or a glass.

In his evidence he said the item was not intended to hit anyone.

The court heard he had two previous convictions for possessing cocaine with intent to supply and public disorder.

Judge Neil Bidder QC again advised him to get legal representation, warning him: "You are unquestionably facing a prison sentence."

Gary Tucker (Image: Wales News Service)Tucker, 51, of Holly Lane in Birmingham, was seen to get off the minibus and throw an object down Hereford Street.

He accepted getting off the minibus at the pub and throwing a plastic cup out of "frustration" in the heat of the moment.

Prosecutors said he had been before the courts for 17 previous offences including affray, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and causing criminal damage.

The court heard Tucker was made the subject of a football banning order in 1996. Judge Bidder described his record as "shocking".

Clarke, 40, of Winchester Drive in Solihull, was seen to run off the minibus before punching and kicking a Bluebirds fan.

He denied it was him on the CCTV. Prosecutors said he had no relevant previous convictions or cautions.

The jury of nine men and three women returned unanimous guilty verdicts. The defendants sighed and shook their heads as the verdicts were delivered.

Judge Bidder said: "Thank you very much, members of the jury. May I thank you for the care you have taken with this case."

The defendants were granted bail until they are sentenced.

DAY 6: CARDIFF CROWN COURT CARDIFF / ASTON VILL FANS

Media Wales & Birmingham live news

Wednesday 3rd October 2018

Football fan 'was acting in self-defence' from 'maniac' throwing punches during pub brawl

"One Villa fan was behaving like a "maniac" and was throwing punches "from the moment he came through the door".

A football fan accused of being part of a "huge disorder" in a Cardiff pub following a match told a court he felt "angry" as the venue was his "second home".

Five men are on trial following a post-game brawl at The Cornwall pub in Grangetown following the Championship clash between Cardiff City and Aston Villa on August 12 last year.

Cardiff City supporters Nathan Pleace and Vincent Richards, along with Aston Villa supporters Mark Baker, Gary Tucker and Brett Clarke, all deny violent disorder and are on trial at Cardiff Crown Court .

On Wednesday Cardiff City fan Richards, 32, told the jury he was offered a free ticket to the game on the day and arrived at the stadium five minutes before kick off.

He said he drank one pint at half-time but consumed no alcohol before the match.

The court heard how Richards and a friend made their way towards The Cornwall after the game finished. He said he knew the assistant manager Gemma Healey very well and described the pub as as his "second home".

The atmosphere in the pub was described as good by Richards as Cardiff had won 3-0.

CCTV played in court showed Richards at the side entrance as a group of Aston Villa fans arrived at the scene.

He said he heard a noise outside and proceeded to the side to see what was going on.

He said: "To have someone coming to your home and behave like that, you can't accept that behaviour."

The court heard Richards managed to close the side doors and made his way to the main entrance.

He said: "The scene in the doorway made me feel nervous and more angry as it went on.

"You needed to do something to not let it go further, to another level. We needed to help each other and close that door."

The footage showed Richards, of Leckwith Road in Llandough, throwing a plastic glass at someone outside the pub.

The CCTV also showed him kicking out at a man on the floor, which Richard said was because the man grabbed him "by the b*******".

Despite kicking out Richards said he believed he didn't make any contact with the man and instead hit someone else's shin.

Richards said the man on the floor was behaving like a "maniac" and was throwing punches "from the moment he came through the door".

After an exchange of punches between the man on the ground and Richards and others the man who had been on the floor managed to get out of the pub.

He added: "I was trying to stop the man from being aggressive – I had no option in my head.

"I have mates there and there are women – my priority was not to let him back in and behave the way he was around my friends and my family."

When asked what was going through his head at that moment, he said: "Self-defence and to defend whatever is around me."

Prosecutor James Wilson asked Richards why he didn't help close the door instead or phone the police.

Richards replied: "There's not much time to do that and get your phone out. I couldn't say: 'Excuse me mate can you leave the pub?'.

"It doesn't work like that in that situation."

The defendant said he accepted he made a mistake and understood his role in the act.

He added: "Looking back, in hindsight, I knew I shouldn't have done that. I only realised two weeks after that I went too far and for that I apologise."

The court heard Richards handed himself in to the police but gave a no comment interview.

On Tuesday fellow Cardiff fan Pleace, 30, of Andrew's Road in Llandaff North, also gave evidence.

Aston Villa fans Tucker, 51, of Holly Lane in Birmingham and Baker, 47, of Ashburton Road in Birmingham, also gave their evidence.

Clarke, 40, of Winchester Drive in Solihull, chose not to give evidence.

The trial continues.

DAY 5:

Tuesday 2nd October / Cardiff Crown Court

Cardiff / Villa

Villa fans arrived at 7pm at Cardiff Pub 2hrs after game had finished.

A football fan accused of being part of “huge disorder” in a Cardiff pub following a match told a court he took “necessary” action.

Five men are on trial following a post-game brawl at The Cornwall pub in Grangetown following the Championship clash between Cardiff City and Aston Villa on August 12 last year.

Cardiff City supporters Nathan Pleace and Vincent Richards, along with Aston Villa supporters Mark Baker, Gary Tucker and Brett Clarke all deny violent disorder and are on trial at Cardiff Crown Court.

On Tuesday three of the defendants gave evidence in their own defence.

Bluebirds fan Pleace, 30, of Andrew’s Road, in Llandaff North, told the jury he and a few friends were heading to the city centre through Grangetown after the match and headed towards The Cornwall.

He said had consumed four of five pints of lager.

CCTV played in court showed him standing outside the pub when a bottle smashed nearby.

He said: “I thought it was a commotion between locals but when I heard their accent I knew they weren’t from here.

“The first thing I saw was a big man with a bottle physically trying to smash a bottle over someone’s head. I didn’t want the man coming any closer to us.”

The footage shows Pleace throwing a plastic glass at the men during what he described as “huge disorder”.

The CCTV also showed him kicking out at a man on the floor and appearing to throw a punch, which he described as a shove, to a man on the floor.

He described the men as “agitated” and said they were calling people for a fight.

Asked what was going through his head, he said: “You haven’t got time to think – it was just one of those moments.”

He then picked up a chair from the pub which he said was a natural reaction. Pleace said he thought the group’s intentions were to cause serious harm to people in and out of the pub.

He added: “I thought everything I was doing on that day was necessary.”

Fellow defendant Tucker, 51, of Holly Lane in Birmingham, said he and other Villa fans left the Cardiff City Stadium when Aston Villa were losing at half-time. He said they went on a “pub crawl” and went to several pubs around Cardiff.

The court heard how the men said they were going to stop off at the first off licence they saw.

The bus of around 20 to 30 fans stopped outside Millennium Fish & Chips in Cornwall Street, opposite The Cownwall.

Tucker told the court he was on the bus when he heard someone shout “pub, pub” and they made their way towards the pub. CCTV was shown to the jury of the bus arriving.

Giving evidence Tucker said he didn’t enter the pub but he threw an object – believed to be a plastic pint glass – out of “frustration” and felt it was “necessary”.

He said it was in the heat of the moment but wasn’t sure why he had thrown an object.

When Tucker was arrested he declined legal advice and gave a no comment interview until he had spoken with a solicitor he knew.

Baker, 47, of Ashburton Road in Birmingham, was dressed in a white T-shirt and blue shorts on the footage and said he stood out like a “sore thumb”.

He told the court if he was coming for violence he would have dressed differently.

CCTV showed Baker throwing a can down the street, which he said wasn’t intended to hit anyone.

He also told the jury their behaviour was “childish” and they acted like a “bunch of lads”.

After heading back to the bus the court heard Baker returned to the pub. He said he heard someone was “trapped inside” and went to try and help.

When he was arrested he declined to have free independent legal advice, claiming the solicitors could have been “useless”.

Clarke, 40 of Winchester Drive in Solihull, also involved in the case, chose not to give evidence.

Richards, 32, of Leckwith Road in Llandough, is due to begin his defence on Wednesday.

FINAL DAY: CROWN COURT CARDIFF / VILLA FANS 5 FOUND GUILTY

Not sure what your supposed to do tbh......your sat having a pint when a minibus full of idiots hell bent on fighting the pub turn up....would there really be any locals in court for defending themselves / their mates / their local boozer if the idiots had driven off and decided instead to attack a random pub in Hereford or Worcester on the way home....I think not

What a pity they didn't mention an important fact: IT HAPPENED AT 7PM! In my opinion, no Cardiff should be in court for this. Those Villa scum should've been back in Brum by that time. I left the pub around 6.20, to catch my train home and there were a few City, some locals and a dog sleeping on the floor. Every one of those Villa in that minibus should be done, otherwise don't bother and let it go. Justice, my arse.

What a pity they didn't mention an important fact: IT HAPPENED AT 7PM! In my opinion, no Cardiff should be in court for this. Those Villa scum should've been back in Brum by that time. I left the pub around 6.20, to catch my train home and there were a few City, some locals and a dog sleeping on the floor. Every one of those Villa in that minibus should be done, otherwise don't bother and let it go. Justice, my arse.

The accusations surround the away clash with Cardiff last year and Bluebirds supporters Nathan Pleace and Vincent Richards also stand accused.

The court heard the incident occurred at The Cornwall pub on August 12 last year.

Each defendant denies using or threatening unlawful violence. James Wilson, prosecuting, said they may not necessarily have used violence by punching, kicking or throwing a bottle but assisted in the incident.

He said kick-off was at 3pm and the match happened "without incident".

He said later that evening, a group of Aston Villa supporters went to The Cornwall on a minibus and there was "a fight" with Cardiff City supporters.

Mr Wilson said: "The incident lasted for about five minutes and involved punches, kicks and bottles being thrown."

The court heard the pub was in a residential area and the incident happened on a summer evening with members of the public around.

Prosecutors said the minibus pulled up on Cornwall Street and the Aston Villa group got out and headed towards the pub.

The disorder was caught on CCTV, both inside the pub and on the streets outside.

Mr Wilson said there were two confrontations, with the incident starting at the front of the pub and moving to the side entrance.

Each defendant denies using or threatening unlawful violence. The prosecutor said they may not necessarily have used violence by punching, kicking or throwing a bottle.

He added: "It is the prosecution case that even those who did not inflict violence still encouraged and assisted such violence."

I think that there are certain pubs and places to avoid in all common sense. Perhaps this shouldn't be so, but it is in reality. I can assure you that in other circumstances I would be working for an acquittal , probably successfully , but I would also have been advising the clients to think carefully in future about being cautious of putting a target on their back.

In a perfect world it would be possible for football fans to congregate in a pub with other supporters and have fun celebrating or regretting a game, just as it would for someone to walk down Railton Road in Brixton wearing a Swiss watch or carrying an iPad. However, we know that in the real world certain perfectly lawful and reasonable acts can put us in particular danger.Of course, we can hardly tell these people that they've done anything wrong by lingering in that pub on a match day, but whether we like it or not, we could anticipate the dangers of doing so.

This is particularly so in a society where defending yourself is generally frowned upon by the liberal elite who now comprise such a part of the establishment and judiciary. Very very many years ago I was in Newcastle on a weekend pass with some other soldiers on a day when they were playing Arsenal. We didn't know that - we'd gone to watch the new Peter Sellars film and randomly picked a pub which turned out to be the Newcastle football punch up venue. We all had very short hair and were of an age group and probably loud demeanour which led the locals to think that we were Arsenal fans come to taunt them. In due course we were attacked by what they'd expected to be an overwhelming number of arseholes wielding bottles , glasses and various other weapons . Well, it didn't go that well for them as it turned out and when the local police turned up with dogs and riot helmets they found it now perfectly calm except for a few of the attackers with fairly nasty injuries and a lot of damage .

Now, the reason I tell this tale is because it's very pertinent to what I'm saying here. Although a few of the attackers had various things broken and one of them had unfortunately somehow cut his face on the broken glass he had, the police knew the individuals and found it all very amusing if anything. No one got arrested and I think the attitude was that they'd asked for everything they got . My point is, though, that this would not happen today, would it ?

As you report it here, these defendants were the ones who were attacked and this seems plausible to me because they had obviously not gone to the place to attack Aston Villa fans since they would not have known that they would be there, but the Aston Villa people clearly targeted a location where they might expect to encounter rival fans. In the world of common sense which we used to live in then, the outcome would have been similar to the one in my account of yesteryear in Geordie Land.

My point therefore is that no one regrets the loss of our traditional sense of proportion, justice and plain common sense than I , but we are now stranded in this slightly insane time and space where discretion and logic are nothing but a distant memory and if we are to survive in this society with its topsy turvey realities and moralities, then we must adapt our behaviour and activities so as not to be punished for acts which would be considered quite natural and reasonable in a Christian Democracy.

Good news, they should all be acquitted IMO, except the Villa scum of course.

Jim, 100% correct Cardiff were in their local pub, Villa came there in the evening looking for trouble attacked it, so your suppose to defend yourself surely.

If you go to a Cardiff Pub at 7pm two hours after the final whistle as rival fansyou have done so as a pre planned attack thinking that most of the Cardiff lads will have already gone home. If they really fancied their chances they should have turned up when the pub was full but they wouldn't do that would they? Scum. Hope all the City lads get off free.

Sorry - got carried away there. I stopped though before I invited the jury to show us that they're loan warriors for common sense standing up against the theocratic establishment and acquit them. I went on auto pilot, but I think that's where I was going.

Good news, they should all be acquitted IMO, except the Villa scum of course.

Jim, 100% correct Cardiff were in their local pub, Villa came there in the evening looking for trouble attacked it, so your suppose to defend yourself surely.

If you go to a Cardiff Pub at 7pm two hours after the final whistle as rival fansyou have done so as a pre planned attack thinking that most of the Cardiff lads will have already gone home. If they really fancied their chances they should have turned up when the pub was full but they wouldn't do that would they? Scum. Hope all the City lads get off free.

100% Agree with you Terry, a Cowardly act by Villa and they were the ones who came looking for trouble.

We've been here before, remember the jacks attacking the exchange pub? and that was even later, must have been gone 8.30 in the evening. The few city fans in the pub, just like this incident, were forced to defend themselves but the judge still gave one of our lads, Pughy, twelve months prison. One rule for football fans, another rule for everyone else, justice my arse.

Im very close to a few lads who are up my mate got off yesterday(rightly so)another 'thinks' he will get off ie self defence an 2 look like they will get slammed if found guilty as they left the pubs premises so may not be classed as self defence on their part,villa went looking for trouble so as previous posts have said what are you supposed to do allow yourself to be attacked.......

SirJimmySchoular wrote:I think that there are certain pubs and places to avoid in all common sense. Perhaps this shouldn't be so, but it is in reality. I can assure you that in other circumstances I would be working for an acquittal , probably successfully , but I would also have been advising the clients to think carefully in future about being cautious of putting a target on their back.

In a perfect world it would be possible for football fans to congregate in a pub with other supporters and have fun celebrating or regretting a game, just as it would for someone to walk down Railton Road in Brixton wearing a Swiss watch or carrying an iPad. However, we know that in the real world certain perfectly lawful and reasonable acts can put us in particular danger.Of course, we can hardly tell these people that they've done anything wrong by lingering in that pub on a match day, but whether we like it or not, we could anticipate the dangers of doing so.

This is particularly so in a society where defending yourself is generally frowned upon by the liberal elite who now comprise such a part of the establishment and judiciary. Very very many years ago I was in Newcastle on a weekend pass with some other soldiers on a day when they were playing Arsenal. We didn't know that - we'd gone to watch the new Peter Sellars film and randomly picked a pub which turned out to be the Newcastle football punch up venue. We all had very short hair and were of an age group and probably loud demeanour which led the locals to think that we were Arsenal fans come to taunt them. In due course we were attacked by what they'd expected to be an overwhelming number of arseholes wielding bottles , glasses and various other weapons . Well, it didn't go that well for them as it turned out and when the local police turned up with dogs and riot helmets they found it now perfectly calm except for a few of the attackers with fairly nasty injuries and a lot of damage .

Now, the reason I tell this tale is because it's very pertinent to what I'm saying here. Although a few of the attackers had various things broken and one of them had unfortunately somehow cut his face on the broken glass he had, the police knew the individuals and found it all very amusing if anything. No one got arrested and I think the attitude was that they'd asked for everything they got . My point is, though, that this would not happen today, would it ?

As you report it here, these defendants were the ones who were attacked and this seems plausible to me because they had obviously not gone to the place to attack Aston Villa fans since they would not have known that they would be there, but the Aston Villa people clearly targeted a location where they might expect to encounter rival fans. In the world of common sense which we used to live in then, the outcome would have been similar to the one in my account of yesteryear in Geordie Land.

My point therefore is that no one regrets the loss of our traditional sense of proportion, justice and plain common sense than I , but we are now stranded in this slightly insane time and space where discretion and logic are nothing but a distant memory and if we are to survive in this society with its topsy turvey realities and moralities, then we must adapt our behaviour and activities so as not to be punished for acts which would be considered quite natural and reasonable in a Christian Democracy.

I failed to read it mate.....but im sure your generally in agreement with everyone else

Lasted 5 mins!! No one hurt yet plod spent thousands of ££££s many man hours for this plus court time 2wks Shows where their priorities lie...... if this as a sat night no footy involved doubt if anything would be done other than spot fine for disturbing the peace., and people are correct city fans should not be on trial law still stuck in the 80s

Forever Blue wrote:Rhodri Jones, 28, from Cardiff, who was represented by Matthew Cobbe, denied violent disorder. Prosecutors offered no evidence against him and he was discharged

But this is the frustrating thing, why did the CPS bring this case to court in the 1st place? This is our money they are wasting FFS. not to mention what the defendant had to fork out for a brief. Ludicrous......

Not a shred of evidence exists in favour of the idea that life is serious........

Forever Blue wrote:Rhodri Jones, 28, from Cardiff, who was represented by Matthew Cobbe, denied violent disorder. Prosecutors offered no evidence against him and he was discharged

But this is the frustrating thing, why did the CPS bring this case to court in the 1st place? This is our money they are wasting FFS. not to mention what the defendant had to fork out for a brief. Ludicrous......

pembroke allan wrote:Lasted 5 mins!! No one hurt yet plod spent thousands of ££££s many man hours for this plus court time 2wks Shows where their priorities lie...... if this as a sat night no footy involved doubt if anything would be done other than spot fine for disturbing the peace., and people are correct city fans should not be on trial law still stuck in the 80s

I think it has a lot more to do with the pre-planned nature of it (on Villa's part anyway).

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